Uterine Cancer

Overview

Uterine or endometrial cancer will affect over 54,000 new women this year, and over 10,000 women will succumb to this disease. Cancer starts when cells in the body fail to die and start to grow out of control, beyond their normal life expectancy. The most common cancers in the uterus occur in the endometrial lining of the uterine cavity. These women usually come to the doctor with abnormal bleeding so the cancers (68%) tend to be diagnosed in early stages. Cancers that are found at an earlier stage are more easily cured.

Uterine sarcomas are much less common (about 5% of all uterine cancer),  and are more aggressive malignancies that form in the muscle or in the supporting structures of the uterus.

Treatment Options

Uterine cancers are staged and treated surgically, usually with a hysterectomy and removal of the tubes and ovaries and sometimes lymph nodes as well.  The surgery and/or preoperative staging determines if other treatment is necessary. For early stage I cancer, surgery with hysterectomy is usually sufficient.  Patients with more advanced cancer may need additional treatment including radiation hormones and/or chemotherapy, depending on the patient an  extent of disease.

Medical Oncologist

Talya Schwarzberg

Talya Schwarzberg, MD

Talya Schwarzberg, MD, is a former clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and staff physician at Massachusetts General Hospital’s department of medical oncology. She received her medical oncology and hematology training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and her internal medicine training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, both in Boston.

Dr. Schwarzberg is currently seeing patients with different types of cancers, with a focus on breast and gynecologic cancers. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Talya Schwarzberg.

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